Lin Wenyuan's residence is located in the depths of a high-end residential area at the other end of the city. The greening of the community is excellent, and they are all single-family villas with strong privacy. Chen Mo arrived in the afternoon according to the address on his business card.
He didn't call at once, but first observed the villa for nearly an hour in a small park not far away. The villa has an elegant appearance, with obvious Chinese style, closed doors and windows, tightly drawn curtains and extremely quiet. No obvious monitoring or abnormal energy fluctuation was found around (the ear nail remained silent).
At three o'clock in the afternoon, Chen Mo sorted out the new identity information provided by the old cat and implanted in his temporary terminal-"Lu Yuan, an independent art consultant of returnees". He changed into a more decent leisure suit (also obtained from the old cat channel, and the size was just right), and transferred the association terminal to the most hidden mode, with a light Bi hidden in his sleeve. In addition to the necessary items and the "blood marrow stone", there were several pieces of ancient glasses in his backpack (properly isolated with lead boxes). Taking a deep breath, he walked to the door of the villa.
The doorbell is a vintage brass bell. Chen Mo pulled the bell rope, and the ringing bell echoed in the hospital.
After about a minute, the heavy door silently opened a crack. The door was opened by a middle-aged woman with a plain cheongsam, meticulous hair behind her head and a calm face that was almost rigid. She glanced sharply at Chen Mo, didn't speak, just sideways beckoned him to come in.
The interior of the villa is dimly lit, with heavy curtains blocking most of the sunshine, and only a few quaint palace lanterns are used for lighting. The air is filled with a complex smell-old books, precious wood, faint sandalwood, and a more subtle and indescribable smell like formalin mixed with dried herbs.
The woman led Chen Mo through the antique living room filled with all kinds of porcelain, jade and antiques, and came to a closed door. She knocked on the door and whispered, "Sir, the guest has arrived."
"Come in." An old but neutral voice came from the door.
The woman pushed open the door and motioned for Chen Mo to enter, while she stayed outside and gently closed the door.
This is a study, which is more crowded than the living room. The four walls are indomitable bookshelves, filled with all kinds of thread-bound books, ancient books and foreign documents. In the center of the room is a huge mahogany desk, which is full of documents, magnifying glasses, and some antiques that are half covered by flannel. An old man wearing a navy blue silk shirt, neatly combed gray hair and gold-rimmed glasses was sitting behind a desk, toying with a jade article in his hand, and peering through the lens, he looked sharply at Chen Mo who came in.
This is Lin Wenyuan. His face is thin, but his eyes are unusually bright, with a sophisticated, insight into people's minds, and ... a little imperceptible, similar to an old cat, wandering in the gray area.
"Liu Yuan? The old cat introduced it? " Lin Wenyuan put down the jade, her voice was dull and she couldn't recognize her emotions.
Chen Mo nodded, gestured with sign language that his hearing was impaired, and at the same time put the business card given by the old cat, together with the velvet bag containing "blood pulp stone", on the edge of the desk.
Seeing the business card, Lin Wenyuan's eyes flashed clean. He picked up the cloth bag and didn't open it immediately. He just rubbed the cloth with his fingers and felt the faint but unique "breath" inside. His mouth twitched slightly, like a smile and a mockery.
"Blood marrow stone ... the old cat is willing to pay for it this time." He put the bag aside, eyes back to Chen Mo, looked up and down, "go ahead, young man. The old cat asked you to come to me, not just to send a stone. What do you want to know about the' other shore gallery'? "
Chen Mo was ready, so he turned on the notepad function of the terminal (switched to the external display mode), which showed his pre-typed words: "I've heard a lot about Mr. Lin. Lu Yuan, a junior, is new to this field, and he is quite interested in the' other shore gallery'. I heard that they have some' special' collection channels. I would like to ask Lin Lao to give me some advice. If possible, I hope Lin Lao can introduce me on his behalf. I am very grateful. "
He put his attitude very low, and the reason is also in line with the identity of "Lu Yuan" as an art consultant.
Lin Wenyuan looked at the words on the screen and didn't answer immediately. He stood up slowly, walked to the antique shelf next to him, picked up a palm-sized bronze cup, and gently wiped the edge of the cup with his fingers, as if he were weighing words.
"The other side gallery ... that kid Zhou Wenyuan made it." Lin Wenyuan finally spoke, with a condescending comment in his tone. "The surface kung fu is well done, the packaging is glamorous, and the high-end, niche and mysterious route has attracted many rich people who are arty and like curiosity. Collections ... There are indeed some' special' things that are not common in the market. "
He turned around, and his eyes behind his glasses became deep: "But what you want to know, I'm afraid, is not the' special' on their tooling?"
Chen Mo's heart is still in the air, knowing that he can't hide from this old fox. He pondered a little and continued typing on the terminal: "Lin Lao has a good eye. The younger generation is generally interested in the authenticity, age and artistic value of the artwork itself. What I am more interested in is the' story' or' unusual smell' that may be carried behind the collection. I heard that there are some things in the' other shore gallery' that can make people who really know how to do things ... resonate. "
He led the topic to the areas where strange things and relics might be involved, but the words were vague and left room.
Lin Wenyuan stared at the word "resonance" on the screen and his eyes flashed. He walked back to the desk and sat down, tapping his fingers on the desktop.
"Resonance ... Hehe, young man, some' resonance' is very expensive." He said slowly, "I have come into contact with a few things in the' other side gallery'. It's a little ... extraordinary. Zhou Wenyuan is a man with a seemingly simple background, but he has a lot of energy. He can always get something of unknown origin, but it has a remarkable effect. I suspect that there is a very' deep' channel behind him that we don't know. "
He paused, leaned forward slightly, and lowered his voice: "Moreover, as far as I know, Zhou Wen's intention to buy certain items has been obviously enhanced in the past six months-those antiques and relics that have a strong negative historical imprint, or are closely related to misfortune, death and abnormal events." The purchase price is very high, regardless of the specific route, as long as' feeling' is right. "
Chen Mo's heart jumped with a jerk. How similar this description is to the ancient mirror he repaired! Strong negative emotions (disfigurement and suicide) are directly related to strangeness (faceless women)!
"He is collecting such things? What is it for? " Chen Mo typed questions.
"This is the problem." Lin Wenyuan stand stand hand, "no one knows. It may be to satisfy the hobbies of some special customers, or it may be that ... he has some kind of' hobby' or' research'. But what is certain is that he didn't collect these things to look good there. "
He glanced at the blood pulp stone bag on the table: "The old cat asked you to come to me because he wanted me to help you hook up and get in touch with Zhou Wenyuan and the' other shore gallery', right?"
Chen Mo nodded.
"Introduction is not difficult. Next week, there will be a small private high-end art exchange salon in the neighboring city. The' Other Side Gallery' is one of the organizers, and Zhou Wenyuan will definitely attend. I can bring a' potential young generation' in. " Lin Wenyuan readily agreed, but (turn, "however, why should I help you? With the old cat stone? Human feelings belong to human feelings and business belongs to business. "
Chen Mo knew that the real deal was coming. He typed: "Lin Lao, please speak frankly, what do you need the younger generation to do?"
Lin Wenyuan showed a satisfied smile: "Talking to smart people is to save trouble. I'll introduce you, so that you can have a chance to get in touch with Zhou Wenyuan and the core of' The Other Side Gallery'. In exchange, I need you to help me confirm one thing after entering the' other side gallery' and get a' sample' or clear image data of one thing as much as possible. "
"What is it? What is it? "
Lin Wenyuan took out a copy of an old yellowed photo from the drawer and pushed it to Chen Mo. The photo shows a Yu Pei with a strange shape, with an irregular oval shape and a blue-black color. The surface is covered with fine and complicated strange lines that seem to be naturally formed, and there seems to be a small, eye-shaped depression in the center.
"This Yu Pei is called' Ghost Eye'." Lin Wenyuan's voice with a hint of imperceptible desire, "It is said that it was a sacrifice made by an alchemist in the Han Dynasty, and it can' see the gap between life and death'. Of course, these are legends. But it is indeed a very, very special' antique' with a strong and ominous' breath'. Twenty years ago, it appeared in an underground auction, causing a small sensation, and then disappeared. It is said that it was bought privately by a mysterious buyer. "
He clicked some photos with his finger: "I got reliable information that' Ghost Eye' may have fallen into the hands of' The Other Side Gallery', or at least, Zhou Wenyuan knows its whereabouts and may even be studying it. I want you to confirm whether it is really in the' other side gallery'. If yes, take clear photos as much as possible, or, if conditions permit, use this ... "
He took out a silver metal sheet that was only the size of a U disk, but had a precise structure: "... get close to it and keep it within 10 cm for at least 30 seconds. This is a special' information sampler', which can record the specific energy spectrum and logical residual characteristics emitted by items. "
Chen Mo looked at the ominous Yu Pei in the photo and the exquisite sampler, and his vigilance increased greatly. Lin Wenyuan's purpose is not simply for collection or research. This "ghost eye" Yu Pei is probably an extremely dangerous relic, which may even be more sinister than the ancient mirror.
"If the' Ghost Eye' is really there, and it is as dangerous as it is rumored, wouldn't it be ..." Chen Mo typed and questioned.
"Of course there are risks." Lin Wenyuan made no secret, "but this is the deal. I'll provide you with a bridge to the' other side gallery' and the necessary information support, and you will take the risk of exploring the core secrets. The old cat should have told you that I, Lin Wenyuan, never do business at a loss. "
He leaned back and recovered his former composure: "Of course, you can also refuse. Leave with the bloodstone and pretend we haven't met. But in that case, if you want to check the bottom of the' other side gallery', I am afraid you have to find another way, and it may not be safe and effective as my ready-made channel. "
Chen Mo fell silent. Lin Wenyuan's conditions are very harsh and the risks are extremely high. But as he said, this is the fastest and most likely way to get in touch with the core of the "other shore gallery". For the sake of his sister and to find out whether there is really a black hand behind the "faceless woman" incident, he has no choice.
Moreover, the investigation of the "ghost eye" itself may also be related to the clue of "human intervention"-a relic that is so dangerous and has a strong concept of "peeping at life and death" falls into the hands of a gallery that is collecting a large number of negative relics, which is itself a huge doubt.
Weigh again and again, Chen Mo typed a word on the terminal:
"good."
Lin Wenyuan smiled, this time with a sincere smile, with a pleasure of concluding a deal and a hidden calculation. "A wise choice. So, happy cooperation, Lu Yuan ... Or, Mr. Chen Mo? "
Chen Mo pupil contraction suddenly! How did he know his real name?
Lin Wenyuan seemed to see through his shock and said leisurely, "Don't be surprised. Although the old cat didn't say it clearly, it could make him use the blood marrow stone and my human feelings to pave the way. It was the sensitive target of' the other side gallery' that was investigated, plus the' association smell' and' the raw feeling of fresh contractors' that still lingered on you ... It's not difficult to guess your identity. Recently, there have been many rumors about a new' stealer' named Chen Mo within the association. "
He waved his hand: "Don't worry, I'm not interested in your true identity, and I won't talk too much. In my case, you are just' Lu Yuan'. We just need our own business partners. The detailed time, place and matters needing attention of the salon next week, as well as the further background supplement of your' Lu Yuan' status, I will ask Ah Rong (the woman at the door) to give it to you later. "
"Finally, a word of advice, young man." Wen-yuan Lin's eyes became serious. "Wen-yuan Zhou is not easy to be with his peers. The water behind him is deeper than you think. The other side gallery is not a good place. After going in, keep your eyes bright, your ears (he looked at Chen Mo's left ear pointedly) ... Keep your eyes open, but your mouth is important. Some things, seeing and knowing, had better rot in the stomach. Curiosity, in that place, will be fatal. "
He pressed a button on the table. Ah Rong, a woman outside the door, pushed through the door with a sealed file bag in her hand.
"Ah rong, take Mr. Lu to the lounge and give him the information. Then see the guests off. "
With that, Lin Wenyuan picked up the jade that he had played with before, and stopped looking at Chen Mo. The intention of Fujian was obvious.
Chen Mo knew that this meeting was over. He picked up the blood marrow stone (Lin Wenyuan didn't want to go back, is it a deposit? ), took the envelope, nodded slightly to Lin Wenyuan, and then left the study with the woman.
Walking in the dark corridor, Chen Mo's heart is not calm. Lin Wenyuan's foresight and calculation far exceeded his expectations. This cooperation is tantamount to seeking skin from the tiger. But the arrow is on the string and I have to send it.
Next week's salon will be the first time for him to come into direct contact with the "other side gallery" and everything that may be hidden behind it.
And that piece of Yu Pei named "Ghost Eye", like an eye from the nether world, has quietly opened in the shadow of his road ahead.